About Safe Work Australia
On 1 November 2009, Safe Work Australia began operating as an independent statutory agency with primary responsibility to improve occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia. This also gives effect to the Intergovernmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety, agreed by COAG on 3 July 2008. Safe Work Australia will continue to operate under the Commonwealth Government's accountability and governance frameworks. Under the new arrangements, the former Safe Work Australia Council is now known as Safe Work Australia, with existing Chair, Mr Tom Phillips AM, and members of the Safe Work Australia Council appointed to Safe Work Australia.
Safe Work Australia will still have 15 members, including an independent Chair, nine members representing the Commonwealth and each State and Territory, two members representing the interests of workers, two representing the interests of employers and the CEO of Safe Work Australia. Together, the members and agency staff will work to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia.
Key Functions of Safe Work Australia
(a) develop national policy relating to OHS and workers’ compensation
(b) prepare a model Act and model regulations relating to OHS and, if necessary, revise them:
(i) for approval by WRMC, and
(ii) for adoption as laws of the Commonwealth, each of the States and each of the Territories
(c) prepare model codes of practice relating to OHS and, if necessary, revise them:
(i) for approval by WRMC, and
(ii) for adoption as codes of practice of the Commonwealth, each of the States and each of the territories and made under laws of those jurisdictions that adopt the approved model OHS legislation
(d) prepare other material relating to OHS and, if necessary, revise that material
(e) develop a policy, for approval by WRMC, dealing with the compliance and enforcement of the Australian laws that adopt the approved model OHS legislation, to ensure that a nationally consistent approach is taken to compliance and enforcement
(f) monitor the adoption by the Commonwealth, states and territories of:
(i) the approved model OHS legislation as a law of those jurisdictions
(ii) the approved model OHS codes of practice as codes of practice of those jurisdictions, and
(iii) the approved OHS compliance and enforcement policy as a policy of those jurisdictions
(g) collect, analyse and publish data or other information relating to OHS and workers’ compensation in order to inform the development or evaluation of policies in relation to those matters
(h) conduct and publish research relating to OHS and workers’ compensation in order to inform the development or evaluation of policies in relation to those matters
(i) revise and further develop the National OHS Strategy 2002 2012 released by WRMC on 24 May 2002, as amended from time to time
(j) develop and promote national strategies to raise awareness of OHS and workers’ compensation
(k) develop proposals relating to:
(i) harmonising workers’ compensation arrangements across the Commonwealth, states and territories, and
(ii) workers’ compensation arrangements for employers with workers in more than one of those jurisdictions
(l) advise WRMC on matters relating to OHS or workers’ compensation
(m) liaise with other countries or international organisations on matters relating to OHS or workers’ compensation, and
(n) perform such other functions that are conferred on it by WRMC.
Page last updated: 11/12/2009